julies

We have friends who just returned from the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland. Like us they are budget to moderate travellers who have visited Europe a number of times. They didn't go into this blindly and knew that the dollar has sunk against the Euro, but they still said it was pretty appaling when they had to actually pay for things. Have you visited Europe recently and experienced the same thing? I just did a little research for comparison sake. We were in Europe twice last year. When we visited in March '03 you could get .92 euros for a dollar. When we visited in August '03 you could get .89 for a dollar. Now it is .83 euros to the dollar. I won't even go into what kind of exchange rate we could get a couple of years ago when the dollar was really strong. I'm just wondering if you got to Europe and thought to yourself, maybe I shouldn't have come until the dollar is stronger. I'll be interested in hearing the thoughts of those who have recently returned from trips.

Kristinelaine

We are leaving for Europe in about 2 weeks and, realizing the dollar's weakness, we cut our trip back from 3 1/2 weeks to 2 1/2 weeks, hoping to keep our total amount spent in line with what we have spent before. Too bad we'll have so much less time, but there is a limit to what we can afford for one trip.

ira

>The dollar has fallen about 30%<

That is in comparison to it's high.

Julies is only out $90 on the thousand.

Stay in 2* hotels, eat only once at starred restaurants, take 2cl instead of 1cl for short trips, take the metro instead of cabs.

Singletail

I've been to Europe several times within the past year and whereas I'm not sure I'd call it "sticker shock" in the classic sense I am well aware of the supposed rising prices, or perhaps I should say the weakening dollar.

I have certainly considered changing some of my Europe habits but will probably end up just chalking it up to the cost of traveling there and continue to stay in the same level of hotel, eat the same, etc. For me, the biggest single expense is accommodations.

I am certain there are people who are holding off or shortening trips abroad due to the poorer exchange rate. Just what percentage I cannot possibly say.

sera

I'm shocked at how long the subject line of a message can be. Other than that, nothing much shocks me.

RufusTFirefly

Not really--we made some adjustments in lodgings and dining and pretty much made up the difference. Of course, I wish I could get a bejillion euros to the dollar, but it hasn't made much of a difference overall. So we stay in a B&B for 60 euros a night instead of 80 euros a night. They are still nice B&Bs--just took more research to find a good one at that price.

Christina

LOL I was laughing about the how long the title line can be also.

no, julies, I haven't had sticker shock because I know full well what the value of the euro versus dollar is so I'm not surprised. I would be amazed at anyone going to Europe without bothering to find out the exchange rate before they go, especially when making arrangements if that's a concern to them--well, amazed at how clueless some people are who would do that, although I know some people really don't know how to figure out differences in money and don't even know that you can find out such things with a few words typed into Google (or actually reading a newspaper, which is why I'm always pretty cognizant of currency valuations).

I find it distasteful how many people whine about how "appalling" when they are going on their European vacations and have to pay for things. I see you were only there twice last year -- get out the violins, you are practically a charity case. The current rates aren't that unusual historically. This is just such a spoiled, self-centered attitude and complaining about stuff doesn't change anything. I've been there several times when it was worse than now, so this isn't that unusual -- I actually thought it was really unusual when the rate was so good a few years ago, that was the surprising thing.

I have never once been someplace and thought maybe I shouldn't have come because of the exchange rate because I know what it is ahead of time. There isn't any place I've been in Europe prices have changed that much on top of the dollar's fall, but since I know the hotel rates ahead of time, and have my plane ticket, those are the bulk of my spending, anyway. I did just get back from Spain not that long ago, but prices didn't bother me at all because the ones I didn't know ahead of time (food, etc) were cheaper than places I go at home.

dgruzew

The Dollar has been weak against since may 2003. But it has actually rallied in the last few months. It is likey to rebound this fall if US interest rates increase(which is likely due to the recent signs of inflation)

GSteed

Europe is a bargain at any price. Nothing in the United States can compare to its features. Museums, galleries and theaters are unique. The London West End may be the best theater area in the world. The diversity of European people is awesome. And best of all most Europeans are not impressed with the quality of Western style life. Europe at any price is an unequaled privelege.

ira

>... most Europeans are not impressed with the quality of Western style life.<

Do you mean that Europe is no longer part of the West, or that they don't care for Texas?

Statia

We've not really noticed much difference, either. We've just slightly scaled our travel accordingly, when need be.

Ryan

Julies,
Relative to where the US dollar was against the heritage currencies of the Euro countries, the rates today are not high. Versus where the dollar was over the last few years, yes the dollar has declined versus the Euro, but versus the last 25 years, the rates today are closer to normal than the rates of 2000.

BTW, the price you are paying for those high exchange rates has been an overall drop in US interest rates. So, you've more than made up for the exchange rate increase if you've purchased a home or refinanced your mortgage in the last 2 years.

julies

I know I am lucky to have travelled extensively. I'm not whining, and I am not talking about people who are uninformed about exchange rates as I specified our friends knew what the exchange rate is and has been. I am just saying that even though they knew what they were getting into as far as exchange rates, it was still a shock when those euros came out of the ATM and how many euros they had to pay on an everyday basis for the smaller things. I supplied the historical data as a basis for comparison.

ChatNoir

ira, I think GSteed has moved to Eastern Europe and really gone native on us.

I saw it often in Asia and it was not a pretty sight to behold.

elaine

HI
I'm old enough to remember when buying things in Europe seemed like bargain-hunting, and when I stayed in a 3-star Paris hotel for the equivalent of $40 per night. But I also remember in the USA when I could go to the movies for $3.

As in other things, we each choose to spend our money in different ways. I live in an expensive city (New York) and yet when I went to London on a budget-minded trip this past January, I did find once again that my dollar didn't go very far. So, I ate modestly, and didn't always buy the museum catalogs at the equivalent of $40 a pop. But I am more bothered by air fares from the US than I am about the spending once I get to Europe. I can exercise some control over hotel prices or souvenir prices, the airfare bargains seem to be a matter of luck. And I don't always want to travel in winter, so the airfares are more problematic for me.

Kayb95

We've been traveling to the UK once or twice a year since 1998 and the £ has flucuated between $1.40 and $1.80 - never very favorable.

After our first couple of trips, we've learned how to economize as much as possible and we only buy things we cannot get cheaper here in the US. My "souviners" include Whittards Tea, Cadbury bars, Pears soap and Boots products.

palette

When my credit card bill arrived from April, I was actually pleased to see that the exchange rate had fallen from the $1.28 per Euro when I was planning the trip to $1.19 by the end of our week. Each day I got a better rate - should have saved all my shopping for the last day! I am always on a budget so if the rate is poor, I curb my shopping or eat from carryouts at least half our dinners (some nights we were just too tired to "dine&quot. I always stay in a 2-star; their rates had only risen 10 Euros from two years ago; it was the exchange rate that increased the actual cost. My vacations are my one splurge for the year, and as long as I am not going into debt to travel, I will continue to do so.

indytravel

Even with today's exchange rate I don't think Europe is all that expensive compared to what it would cost me in the US.

At the beginning of this month I was in Beaune, France for 2 nights. A nice little 2* hotel was 54USD a night. Hmmm, gorgeous town in famous wine country in the US would be in Napa Valley or maybe Sonoma, California? Do you think I can get a nice little hotel within walking distance of a beautiful town for $54USD a night in Napa Valley?

herself

I agree with elaine. I have never paid so much in airline tickets as I will this year. I will be going to Stockhom this weekend and then to France next month. I can always adjust to the exchange before I leave and while in Europe. I print out my cheat sheet from oanda.com and do as I must. Lower price hotels or B&B's, more late lunches and less late diners and, expecially in Sweden, less liquor and no more dumb t-shirts for the grandkids. I also have been travelling more in the US this past two years. At my age, (old) I don't have time to wait for the dollar to get stronger.

Sue_xx_yy

This is a bit like saying that even though the bookies show your horse as being far from the favoured entry, you are still shocked when he lopes in to the finish well behind the leader. In other words, such shock is the consequence of sustaining belief against the evidence.

When 1 US dollar bought in excess of 1 euro, could anyone here give a rational explanation justifying this situation? In other words, nothing has really changed for most of us: we didn't grasp the intricacies of international finance before, and we don't now.